Aramco, ENOWA to develop pioneering electro fuel demonstration plant

Saudi Aramco, global oil giant and ENOWA, NEOM’s energy and water company, have inked a joint development deal to construct and establish a first-of-its-kind synthetic electro fuel(e-fuel) demonstration plant, according to a statement by Aramco.

The plant will be located in ENOWA’s Hydrogen Innovation and Development Center (HIDC) and aims to demonstrate technical feasibility and commercial viability by producing 35 barrels per day of low-carbon, synthetic gasoline from renewable-based hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide(CO2).

The e-fuel technology, built on a circular carbon economy approach, is intended to reduce CO2 emissions by over 70 percent on a complete life cycle basis, compared to conventional fuels. Once complete, the integrated facility will generate 12 tons of synthetic methanol per day from green hydrogen and CO2, using proprietary technologies developed by ThyssenKrupp Uhde. The synthetic methanol will then be converted into low-carbon gasoline using ExxonMobil’s fluidized-bed methanol-to-gasoline (MtG) technology.

The HIDC will also produce green hydrogen by leveraging an on-site 20-megawatt electrolyzer, powered by renewable energy sources. The innovation center being created by ENOWA will showcase the region’s vast potential to generate and use wind and solar power commercially.